Posted 10/19/09 at 06:30:00 PM by Alex Castle

The Windows 7 launch is finally upon us, which means that a lot of people who skipped the beta and RC launches will be getting their first taste of Microsoft’s new operating system. This also means that a lot of people are going to have to make some decisions soon, like which version of Windows to buy, and whether to go with the 32- or 64-bit version of the operating system.

What’s that you say? “Shouldn’t everyone with a 64-bit capable CPU upgrade to 64-bit Windows?” Well, not quite. There are some major advantages to a 64-bit OS, but there are drawbacks to consider as well. In this article, we’ll describe the pros and cons of 64-bit Windows, so when the time comes to upgrade you’ll know which version is right for you.

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Posted 10/07/09 at 09:21:19 PM by Ryan Whitwam

As we know, the successor to Windows 7 may already be in development. What we didn’t know is that Microsoft may be considering making a 128-bit version of the OS. It was suspected that Windows 7 would be the last version of Windows to ship a 32-bit version, but will there still be two different versions, 64 and 128-bit?

The clues came from a LinkedIn profile for one, Robert Morgan, a senior developer at Microsoft. In his profile, Morgan stated he was working on, “projects including 128bit architecture compatibility with the Windows 8 kernel and Windows 9 project plan.” There’s certainly no confirmation that Windows 8 will have 128-bit support, but Microsoft could be on the way to that technology. If not Windows 8, then maybe Windows 9.

This is all still very early speculation. We most likely won’t even see Windows 8 until at least 2011, but more likely 2012. We may see more clues in updates to Microsoft’s server products before that. Until then, keep an eye on LinkedIn. Apparently people love divulging details in their profiles.

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Posted 09/21/09 at 02:15:56 PM by The Maximum PC Staff

I’m building a new rig using Windows Vista. I thought I’d try the 64-bit version since all the bugs and such should be gone by now. Everything went fine until I attempted to install a wireless adapter in the PCI slot. Much to my surprise, I can’t find an adapter that’s compatible with the 64-bit version. I’ve found many sites that claim to sell 64-bit wireless adapters, but when I check the details of the specs they all say 32-bit compatible. Am I missing something or do they not exist? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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Posted 08/21/09 at 03:19:21 PM by Paul Lilly

As open-source proponents will tell you, there are several advantages to running Linux, and the open-source camp is about to have another bragging point, at least if you're a Chrome user. Google Chrome will soon be available in 64-bit form, but only for Linux..

"The V8 team did some amazing work this quarter building a working 64-bit port. After a handful of changes on the Chromium side, I've had Chromium Linux building on 64-bit for the last few weeks," said Chrome engineer Dean McNamee.

While Vista 64-bit users might be miffed at being left out in the cold (at least for now), the move make senses, given that 64-bit adoption is still stronger on the Linux side than it is with Windows. But given the smoother experience of moving to 64-bit on Vista compared to XP, and Windows 7 shaping up the same way, we imagine a Windows version of 64-bit Chrome can't be far behind.

One of the benefits of 64-bit software is the ability to better utilize large amounts of RAM. 64-bit software can also take up more disk space, but with 1TB drives fast becoming the norm and not the exception, even mainstream users aren't likely to scoff at the trade-off for additional performance.

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Posted 07/06/09 at 02:30:26 PM by Paul Lilly

Any Firefox fan will be quick to point out the open-source browser's numerous advantages over Microsoft's Internet Explorer, including 780 trillion add-ons (slightly exaggerated), better Web standards support, and arguably better performance and security. But one thing IE has that Firefox doesn't is a 64-bit browser, at least for the time being.

While no official 64-bit version of Firefox yet exists, one Firefox contributor who goes by the online alias Makoto has already ported both Firefox 3.0 and 3.5 to 64-bit editions, and has announced plans to do the same for versions 3.6 and up. If he holds true to his promise, it could mean official 64-bit builds might become a reality with Mozilla's next release, especially since Mozilla has talked about adding 64-bit support in the near future.

It might seem like a minor update, but a 64-bit build translates into faster speeds when logging onto sites using encryption (think of online banking), better memory management, and an overall snappier feel.

Make it happen, Mozilla.

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Posted 04/20/09 at 10:00:00 AM by The Maximum PC Staff

I’m currently debating whether to install XP x64 or Vista x64 on my main rig. I will be playing a lot of games, including Counter-Strike, Left 4 Dead, and Far Cry 2, and doing some video editing with Sony Vegas and Adobe After Effects. I’ve tried Vista x64, but issues with Creative soundcards have haunted me for the past week and a half. I still haven’t tried XP x64, but I’ve heard that there’s less support for it compared to Vista x64. I’ve already confirmed that some of my crucial programs do run on XP x64, but what about devices like the printer and camera? I have an E8400 overclocked to 4GHz, 8GB of G.Skill RAM, and an ATI Radeon HD 4850.

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Posted 04/15/09 at 03:15:43 PM by Paul Lilly

As it turns out, the rumors were true; Microsoft does plan on releasing its Office 2010 software suite in both 32-bit and 64-bit flavors, says ArsTechnica, who received confirmation from a Microsoft spokesperson via an email exchange.

"Yes, Office will have two separate 32-bit and 64-bit versions," the spokesperson wrote. "Office 2010 will be the first to do this."

While the benefits of running Office natively in a 64-bit environment might not be particularly exciting, making the popular software suite available as such could help expedite 64-bit adoption among other vendors. Love it or hate it, this also means a certain debt of gratitude is owed to Vista, the first mainstream Windows OS to really push 64-bit onto the masses.

Appropriately enough, look for Office 2010 to be released sometime next year.

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Posted 02/04/09 at 10:50:38 AM by Paul Lilly

Finally answering the call first made in 2003 and ultimately "deferred to a future release," Sun Microsystems is giving users a 64-bit plugin integrated into Java 6 Update 12. The new update also includes a 64-bit version of Webstart, a framework which offers end-users the ability to start Java applications over a network or the internet.

The 64-bit plugin is required for 64-bit browsers and comes included as part of the Java Runtime Environment. Users planning to run 32-bit and 64-bit browser interchangeably must install both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the JRE.

In addition to the 64-bit plugin, Java 6 Update 12 offers official Windows 2008 support, better performance, and no less than 140 bug fixes.

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